The short answer
- OpenCode is for building: a small web app, a script, a fix to existing code. It plans first, shows every change in a review panel, and works with Git so you can take a change back. Start with T08-L01 · Start With OpenCode: Set It Up, Change One Line, and Undo It.
- OpenWork is for working through files: reading the documents in one folder, writing new ones, and turning a task you repeat into a skill a colleague can run. It asks before it changes a file. Start with T21-L01 · Start With OpenWork: One Folder, One Task, and a Look at Every Change.
If you're unsure
Ask what you want at the end. A tool that runs: OpenCode. Finished documents: OpenWork. Both can use free or local models, and the same rules hold for both: work on copies, use made-up or approved data, and check every change before you keep it.